Full-service agency RPM3 is to merge its shrinking media department
into John Ayling & Associates in order to concentrate on creative.
RPM3, which last year recorded media billings of pounds 20 million, will
close its media department at the end of this week after suffering a
number of account losses including the planning/buying for Mitsubishi,
once its largest client, in June.
RPM3’s only remaining senior member of staff, media director Brian
Labbett, will move into John Ayling’s offices bringing RPM3’s media
client portfolio with him.
Labbett’s former colleague, joint media director Tim Irwin, quit the
agency last week to join BJK&E as board director fronting the
Mercedes-Benz business. (Campaign Media Business, 4 October).
Clients to move over to John Ayling with Labbett, who will join as media
director, include Austin Reed, BASF and Freeport Leisure.
RPM3 is understood to have taken the decision to pool media resources to
avoid announcing reduced billings for 1999.
The agency is also said to want to focus on making a name for itself as
a creative outfit, which specialises in retail and direct
response-related advertising.
RPM3 talked to a number of London media agencies before settling with
media independent John Ayling. The latter is ranked as the UK’s 20th
largest agency with billings of pounds 80 million. Clients include
Allied Dunbar, Dairy Crest, Orbis Publishing and Savacentre.
It is frequently touted as a prime takeover target so the RPM3 deal will
only serve to make it more marketable to buyers.
RPM3 was one of the last full-service agencies to hive off its
media.
Roose & Partners Advertising, which took the Mitsubishi media account
off RPM3, is one of the remaining few.
